Page contents
- What is hyperhidrosis?
- Causes and risk factors
- Multiples
- Diagnosis
- treatment
- protection
Excessive sweating is the production of a large amount of sweat more than the body needs to excrete in order to maintain the balance of body temperature. This condition generally arises in childhood or in adulthood, but it may also appear at any stage of life.
All parts of the body are affected by this phenomenon, but it is more prominent in the area of the hands, feet and armpits. Excessive sweating appears in three cases: general, local, and an emotional reaction that affects the palms of the hands, feet and armpits in particular.
The prevalence of this phenomenon ranges between 1% - 6% among adolescent adults in the western world, and there is no difference between men and women in the incidence of hyperhidrosis.
Causes and risk factors for hyperhidrosis
General hyperhidrosis may arise and develop as a result of an unknown cause or one of the following:
- Malfunction of the autonomic nervous system.
- Metabolic diseases, such as: hyperthyroidism, diabetes, gout, and menopause in women.
- fever.
- Taking certain medications, such as: beta-blockers and tricyclic antidepressants.
- Drink alcoholic beverages.
- Neoplastic diseases, such as: Hodgkin's lymphoma, or pheochromocytoma.
Localized hyperhidrosis may arise and be exacerbated by the following:
- A psychological reaction that usually affects the palms of the hands and feet and the armpits without affecting the rest of the body.
- Abnormalities in the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the secretion of sweat in a specific place in the body.
- Abnormalities in a number or part of the sweating glands.
- Improper blood vessels.
Complications of hyperhidrosis
Additional psychosocial symptoms of hyperhidrosis include:
- Avoid social participation, such as shaking hands.
- Depression.
- trustless.
- Poor job performance.
- Missed social gatherings.
- Difficulty in social and romantic relationships.
Diagnosis of hyperhidrosis
It is necessary to direct the investigation according to the extent of the prevalence of excessive sweating. The following are the tests that may be included in the investigation process to find out the cause of this phenomenon, and they include:
- Thyroid performance check.
- Checking blood sugar level after fasting.
- Detection of glycolytic products caused by activation of the sympathetic nervous system in urine.
- Check the acidity of the urine in the blood.
- Tuberculin test to detect previous exposure to tuberculosis.
- X-ray of the chest area.
Excessive sweating disease treatment
Hyperhidrosis may be treated by surgical treatment and non-surgical treatment, as follows:
1. Non-surgical treatment
Non-surgical treatment includes the following:
- Anti-acetylcholine drugs
The treatment is based on applying different types of drugs with anti-acetylcholine activity to the area of hyperhidrosis. Drysol - 20% aluminum chloride hexahydrate in absolute anhydrous ethyl alcohol is the most effective.
There are some of these medications that are topical treatments used to treat excessive sweating, some of which require a prescription, and some of them can be obtained without the need for a prescription in the form of a spray mist, a gel ointment, or an emulsion to reduce sweating.
Among these preparations, aluminum chloride hexahydrate is the most widely used antiperspirant. These antiperspirants are applied before bed and on dry skin, usually in areas where hair grows in the armpits, and then washed in the morning. Some treatments require covering The affected area is covered with plastic wrap.
Oral medications are also available that have a systemic effect on the whole body and are effective against acetylcholine, which is the substance that causes sweat secretion from the sweat glands. These drugs have side effects that include:
- Dilated pupils.
- blurred vision
- Sensation of dryness in the mouth and eyes.
- Constipation and difficulties urinating.
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- Calcium channel blockers
There are several medications designed to treat excessive sweating of the hands and feet, including calcium channel blockers and indomethacin.
- local injection
Another therapeutic possibility is also the local injection of botulinum drug. This substance has been shown to be effective thanks to its anti-acetylcholine effect at the level of the nerve-muscular junction as well as at the level of the sympathetic nerve junction (innervation) of the sweat gland.
In the end result, in order to reduce the amount of sweat secreted from the skin of the affected organ when hyperhidrosis in the palm of the hand, 50 injections are injected under the skin, thus stopping sweating for a period between 4-12 months, and the main side effect is transient weakness in the thumb.
- Electrotherapy
Electrotherapy, also called iontophoresis, is used to treat excessive sweating of the palms and feet. In this treatment, the patient places the palms of the hands or feet in a slightly flat bowl filled with water, so that a medical device sends a low electric current through the water.
This treatment is carried out once every two days until the amount of sweat produced decreases. It is important to repeat this treatment in order to maintain the results, as the patient can receive this type of treatment at home if he is able to acquire this device that needs a prescription.
2. Surgical treatment
The treatment is based on surgical removal of a group of sympathetic nerves that connect to the sweat glands in different parts of the body. Surgical treatment is usually resorted to if all other treatment methods fail.
It is worth mentioning that the nerve bundles in the spaces between the ribs 2-3 and 3-4 are related to the sweating of the palms of the hands, while those in the space between the 4-5 ribs are related to the sweating in the armpits, and the bundles in the space between Ribs 1-2, they are related to excessive sweating in the face area.
The following are the types of surgical treatments:
- The first is an open surgical procedure that requires opening the chest area.
- The second, which is the latest, is where a soft tube endoscope is inserted into the head with a very small video camera, which directs the surgeon without the need to make large cuts or holes in the chest area. The advantage of this method is that it involves fewer complications and scars, and that The surgery time is shorter.
- Surgical operation to remove the sweat glands in the affected places.
- Liposuction under the skin in areas affected by hyperhidrosis removes the sweat glands and reduces the phenomenon.
The complications that can arise due to the second operation are related to compensatory hyperhidrosis, i.e. the appearance of excessive sweating in another area of the body that was not affected by this phenomenon before the operation. Among the possible side effects of the second type of operation are also:
- Pneumothorax is the leakage of air into the space between the lung envelope and the chest wall.
- Feeling pain caused by nerve stimulation passing from under the ribs.
- Recurrent hyperhidrosis and complications of general anesthesia.
Prevention of hyperhidrosis
Prevention methods include the following:
- Use antiperspirant.
- Apply astringents.
- Take a shower daily.
- Choose shoes and socks made of natural materials.
- Change your socks often.
- Ventilate your feet.
- Choose clothes that fit your activity.
- Try relaxation techniques.
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